Have you considered what God said to Abraham and how Abraham
responded?God told Abraham to leave
his native land and to go to a land that God would show him.Abraham obeyed (Genesis 12:1-9; Hebrews 11:8).God told him to look in all directions in
that land and to walk in it through its length and width, “for”, He said, “I
give it to you.”Abraham believed what
God told him, and he built altars to the Lord in the places where he sojourned
(Genesis 13:14-18; 12:7,8).God told Abraham
that his descendants would be as the stars of heaven in number.Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:1-3).Abraham was childless and growing old, yet
he believed in the promises of the Lord.God even gave Abraham a sign to assure His promise of Abraham’s
possessing the land (Genesis 15:7-21), a promise that would not be realized
until the fourth generation.

God repeated His promises and made a covenant with Abraham
with this condition:“Walk before Me
and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1-9).Circumcision was given as a sign of the covenant between God and
Abraham, and Abraham and all his males were circumcised that very day (Genesis
17:23-27).God had confidence in
Abraham’s continued obedience – the basis of the covenant.“For I have known him, in order that he may
command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the
Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what
He has spoken to him” (Genesis 18:19).

A great test of Abraham’s faith
was given in command to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering
(Genesis 22:1, 2).Abraham rose early in the morning and set out
to do as he was commanded.He did not
falter, even though all human reasonings would cry out against his taking the
life of his heir.He believed that God
could raise Isaac from the dead, if necessary (Hebrews 11:17-19).Now hear God’s word to Abraham: “By Myself I
have sworn, says the Lord, because you
have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son –
blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as
the stars of the heaven…In your seed
all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:16-18).

Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by his works
his faith was made complete?(James
2:21-24).Hence, Abraham was justified
when he by faith obeyed God.What is your
state before God?